That Apollo 15 joystick used on the moon was sold at auction for how much?!

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Remember that awesome auction jam-packed with cool NASA goodies, including Apollo 15’s joystick used to land on the moon? Well, it just sold for a big chunk of change.

An unnamed bidder picked up the joystick for a cool $610,693 — yes, more than half a million bucks — at RR Auction's 7th Space and Aviation Autograph and Artifact Auction, which was filled with tons of space-related items.

The purchase marks the highest price ever paid for a piece of NASA memorabilia at public auction, though the only known camera to have traveled to the moon and back sold for $908,000 at a private auction earlier this year. If you have the cash, it’s a good time to be a collector.

The hand controller was mounted on the left side of the Lunar Module Falcon's cabin interior. Cmdr. Dave Scott used it to safely bring the module down to the correct location on the moon's surface in 1971, and also used it for the return trip to Earth. So, yeah, it’s a legit piece of space tech.

Here’s an excerpt from Scott’s certificate of authenticity for the piece:

“I hereby certify that the Rotational Hand Controller (RHC) included with this letter was used to maneuver the Lunar Module 'Falcon' during the Apollo 15 descent and landing on the Moon; and after 3 days on the surface of the Moon, this RHC was used during lunar launch, ascent and rendezvous with the Command and Service Module, 'Endeavor,' in lunar orbit…"

Along with the joystick, several other awesome items were up for grabs, including a piece of lunar module equipment ($126,179), a silver Apollo 11 Robbins Medal ($38,069), an American flag flown to the moon in 1970 on Apollo 13, Buzz Aldrin’s nylon glove worn during the first moon landing, and a signed backpack strap from the PLSS (Personal Life Support System) worn during Charles Conrad's Apollo 12 moonwalks.

How much would you pay for a piece of legit space exploration history?